All the Met Gala Themes Over the Years, From Dance to Manus x Machina
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One of the biggest nights in fashion, better known as the Met Gala, is fast approaching, and we’re excited for the stars to bring this year’s theme to life. So far, we’ve seen a variety of creative Met Gala themes over the years, from Manus x Machina to last year’s Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. And to celebrate this year’s exhibition theme, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, the dress code is "The Garden of Time."
According to Andrew Bolton, head curator of the Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Met, older pieces will be "reawakened" for visitors to admire in the exhibit. He told Fashionista, "When a costume comes into the Met's collection, it's changed irrevocably. It can't be worn, obviously, so you don't see the movement, you can't smell it, you can't hear it, you can't touch it. A lot of the sort of sensorial access we have to garments are diminished. In a sense we're left with really a sight. The idea for this exhibition is to reawaken the sort of sensorial capacities within fashions through various technologies."
In honor of the red carpet event, we’re strolling down memory lane to revisit some of the best concepts. Keep reading for a complete list of Met Gala themes, dating back to 1971.
A Brief History of the Met Gala
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The Met Gala, also known as the Met Ball and Costume Institute Gala, is an annual fundraising event that takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and it’s organized by Vogue magazine.
The tradition dates back to 1948, when fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert spearheaded the first fundraising event for the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit. For the first two decades, the gala included a special dinner that was held at venues like the Waldorf Astoria and the Rainbow Room. But in the early ’70s, Vogue’s former editor-in-chief, Diana Vreeland, joined the Costume Institute as a consultant and gave the event a major upgrade.
Thanks to Vreeland, it has become an elite and glamorous affair, complete with creative themes like Cubism and Fashion, the Costumes of Royal India and The Age of Napoleon. By 1995, when Vogue’s former editor-in-chief Anna Wintour became chairperson of the event, the official date moved to the first Monday in May.
What Is the Met Gala Theme for 2024?
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This year’s Met Gala theme is Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion—and no, it has nothing to do with Disney princesses.
The Met CEO Max Hollein told Fashionista, "The focus is on the question of, 'What happens to an object when it enters our collection, which basically transforms it from a garment that was worn into an object that's being shown?'"
Bolton also told the outlet, "Throughout the years, [we've had] exhibitions where we try to reawaken costumes in our collection—usually conceptually, by interpretation and by juxtaposing historical and contemporary garments side by side to mutually inform and enliven each other. But for this one, we wanted to literally reawaken the costumes."
Met Gala Themes Over the Past 10 Years
2023: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
Last year’s Met Gala theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, which honored the late designer's work by showcasing 150 of his original looks, along with his original sketches. Regarding his work, Bolton told Vogue, “I always thought that his drawings were very spontaneous and almost impressionistic. But they were in truth extremely precise, almost mathematical.” The co-hosts included Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Dua Lipa and Roger Federer.
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2022: In America: An Anthology of Fashion
Fans of period costumes will take a liking to this theme, which, according to the official website, “explores defining moments in nineteenth- and twentieth-century American fashion.” It was the second half of 2021’s two-part theme, and naturally, the stars dressed to the nines. Lizzo, Blake Lively, Michelle Yeoh and Glenn Close are just a few celebs who dazzled on the red carpet.
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2021: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
Following the pandemic, the annual Met Gala returned with a bang by paying tribute to American fashion and focusing on ensembles with expressive qualities. At the time, Kim Kardashian stole the show in a black body suit that covered her entire face, complete with a matching train.
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2019: Camp: Notes on Fashion
The fun theme was all about the "camp" aesthetic. It encouraged guests to explore “how the elements of irony, humor, parody, pastiche, artifice, theatricality and exaggeration are expressed in fashion,” according to the site. Co-chairs for the event included Anna Wintour, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Serena Williams and Alessandro Michele.
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2018: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
The fascinating theme examined fashion’s relationship with Catholicism, and it inspired a plethora of halos, wings and jeweled crosses on the red carpet. Katy Perry, Chadwick Boseman, Rihanna and Ariana Grande are just a few who delivered standout looks.
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2017: Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between
This year’s exhibit highlighted the work of Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo, who is known for her bold and unconventional designs. Stars like Cara Delevingne, Zendaya and Rihanna turned heads with their unique, colorful ensembles.
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2016: Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology
The theme was all about the distinction between clothes made by hand (manus) versus the sewing machine (machina). Madonna notably wore a Givenchy number that became one of her most controversial (and revealing) ensembles to date.
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2015: China: Through the Looking Glass
China: Through the Looking Glass explored the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion. The red carpet included breathtaking looks from Solange Knowles, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Kerry Washington. Wintour, Jennifer Lawrence, Gong Li, Marissa Mayer and Wendi Murdoch served as co-chairs.
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2014: Charles James: Beyond Fashion
The famed couturier was known for his stunning, elaborate designs, so it comes as no surprise that he got his own exhibit. Per the official website, the theme explored “James's design process, specifically his use of sculptural, scientific, and mathematical approaches to construct revolutionary ball gowns and innovative tailoring that continue to influence designers today.”
To honor his legacy, guests sported their most extravagant attire, from Sarah Jessica Parker’s Oscar de la Renta ensemble to Beyoncé’s dazzling homage to Diana Ross.
Evan Falk/WWD/Penske Media
2013: Punk: Chaos to Couture
The stars took us straight back to the ’70s with their glam-punk ensembles on the red carpet. While discussing the theme, Bolton said in a statement, “Since its origins, punk has had an incendiary influence on fashion. Although punk’s democracy stands in opposition to fashion’s autocracy, designers continue to appropriate punk’s aesthetic vocabulary to capture its youthful rebelliousness and aggressive forcefulness.”
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Every Met Gala Theme Dating Back to 1971
2024: Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion
2023: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
2022: In America: An Anthology of Fashion
2021: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
2019: Camp: Notes on Fashion
2018: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
2017: Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between
2016: Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology
2015: China: Through the Looking Glass
2014: Charles James: Beyond Fashion
2013: Punk: Chaos to Couture
2012: Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations
2011: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
2010: American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity
2009: The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion
2008: Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
2007: Poiret: King of Fashion
2006: AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion
2005: The House of Chanel
2004: Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century
2003: Goddess: The Classical Mode
2001: Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years
1999: Rock Style
1998: Cubism and Fashion
1997: Gianni Versace
1996: Christian Dior
1995: Haute Couture
1994: Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western dress
1993: Diana Vreeland: Immoderate Style
1992: Fashion and History: A Dialogue
1990: Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture
1989: The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire
1988: From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress
1987: A Tribute to Diana Vreeland
1986: Dance
1985: Costumes of Royal India
1984: Man and the Horse
1983: Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design
1982: La Belle Époque
1981: The Eighteenth-Century Woman
1980: The Manchu Dragon: Costumes of China, the Chi'ng Dynasty
1979: Fashions of the Habsburg Era: Austria-Hungary
1978: Diaghilev: Costumes and Designs of the Ballets Russes
1977: Vanity Fair: A Treasure Trove
1976: The Glory of Russian Costume
1975: American Women of Style
1974: Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design
1973 (December): The 10s, the 20s, the 30s: Inventive Clothes
1973 (March): The World of Balenciaga
1971: Fashion Plate